


The Princess in the Tower

by ToTurnTheKey



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Pining, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:48:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27698522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTurnTheKey/pseuds/ToTurnTheKey
Summary: As The Mighty Nein make camp for the night, Yasha muses on how Jester does what she does.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Yasha
Kudos: 26





	The Princess in the Tower

Yasha watched quietly as Jester danced. She was telling a story, regaling the group with one of her many escapades from when she was at the château, but she was so animated and invested in her telling that it was like watching theatre. The ease by which she commanded everyone’s attention and her comfort with so many eyes on her was a wonder to Yasha. Even before she had fled her home, Yasha had not been one for the spotlight, had never gotten the crowd to laugh or to hang on her words. Before the Nein, before Molly, she had had a treasured audience of one, and that had been enough for her.  
  
As Jester built to the climax of her story, Yasha glanced over the rapt faces of the rest of the Nein and smiled to herself. With a flourish accompanied by the tinkling of several bells, Jester delivered the final punchline to great laughter and applause. She took a deep curtsy, pulling her many skirts out to their full width. When she lifted her head again, Jester was wearing her biggest smile, that one that could bring warmth and light to the deepest darkest pit, and Yasha hoped no one noticed the blush growing across her cheeks.  
  
As her fellows finished congratulating Jester and slipped into quieter conversation, Yasha found herself dwelling on the tiefling. Jester’s childhood had been so sheltered, so lonely, but to watch her now you would have thought she’d spent everyday with large groups of friends. Sometimes Yasha thought of Jester as the princess in the tower, a young maiden locked away from prying eyes, from the dangers of the world, from friends. Of course, Jester’s mother wasn’t some evil witch and Jester herself certainly seemed not to bear any ill will over it, so the metaphor didn’t really stand up. But that didn’t stop the occasional daydream where Yasha scaled a rickety spire and braved a dragon for the chance to see the princess smile, to win her favour, and maybe….  
  
Yasha was brought back to the campfire as Fjord was organising the order of watch for the night. Flustered, she offered to take the first, and was surprised when Jester did the same.  
  
“Well, I just wasn’t ready to sleep yet, you know?” she said with a smile.  
  
The rest of the group set up their bedrolls as Caleb cast his protective dome. There was a chill in the air, but Jester and Yasha decided to take a few laps around the dome, mostly to give the group a chance to fall asleep without Jester fidgeting and giggling. On their third trip around the dome and a tree with the stubby branch that looked a bit like a dick, Yasha realised she could hear nothing but distant crickets. Jester had grown quiet and was looking pensively at the sky.  
  
The clouds shifted, revealing the half moon and bathing Jester’s blue skin in silver light. Yasha’s breath caught in her throat for a moment, there was a glow to Jester that was almost ethereal. But as she drank in the curves of her cheeks, her nose, her lips; Yasha saw a sadness on her features that she’d never seen before. She steeled herself.  
  
“Jester, is- is there something the matter?”  
  
Jester blinked and turned to Yasha, her smile returning to her face.  
  
“Don’t be silly Yasha, everything is wonderful! What could possibly be wrong?”  
  
She gave a big grin, but Yasha didn’t feel the warmth behind it. Concern growing, Yasha decided she should push the issue as she looked down to her heavy black boots.  
  
“It’s just, it’s okay if it isn’t,” she forced herself to look back to Jester, into her bright purple eyes, “you could tell me about it, if you wanted to.”  
  
Yasha watched as Jester’s smile faltered for just a second.  
  
“Of course it would be okay,” Jester paused, her voice became a little quieter, “but, really, I’m just wonderful.”  
  
She looked back to Yasha, and smiled again. This wasn’t a masking smile and it wasn’t the big bright smile; it was small, but true, and warmer than anything Yasha had seen before. Yasha smiled back as butterflies bloomed in her chest. For just a moment, there was nothing but the two of them and the light of the moon. And Yasha thought, just until the moment passed, that maybe there was a princess she could save after all.


End file.
